Gonzales withholds some payment to waste collection company

GONZALES - City officials are punishing trash collection company Waste Pro for skipping several homes on garbage day in recent months.

Per its contract with the company, the city withheld $4,300 dollars from its $59,000 bill for August. The city confirmed garbage trucks had skipped 43 homes during the month.

"They're telling us they have a high turnover of drivers. Some are so new they don't know the routes," said Gonzales Mayor Barney Arceneaux.

About three months ago, Arceneaux said a large number of residents began calling City Hall about missed trash collections. He said he is usually happy with the company but the recent skips are a concern.

A spokesperson for Waste Pro released the following statement:

Any service issues were recovered within 24 hours. These 70 complaints equate to 0.06 percent out of 11,000 service touches.

Arceneaux said the city will continue to monitor waste collection in the city.